The Austrians are entering more often Sick leave. This is reflected in the current absence report WIFO, which analyzes sick leave in 2023. The main findings: In 2023, each employed person was on sick leave 2.3 hours on average. Sick leave lasted 9.3 days per case. The number of sick days is increasing and the length of sick leave is decreasing. In total, Austrians were on sick leave for 15.4 days.
For comparison: in 2022, Austrians were on sick leave for an average of 14.9 calendar days.
“Austria has always been a country with an average sickness absence of 13 to 14 days,” says Andreas Huss, Chairman of the Conference of Social Insurance Institutions, at a press conference on Tuesday morning. So you can see a “significant increase” in the number of illnesses. This is due, among other things, to the flu epidemic in 2023. But alarm is not appropriate.
Young people and women get sick more often
4.2 per cent of employees’ working hours were lost due to sick leave. The average values would show a lot, but hide a lot, says the study author Christine Mayruber (WIFO): “We have the highest rates of sick leave in the health and social services.” Mayrhuber attributes this to the long working hours and the “danger sources” of falling ill at work. It also shows that women and young people take sick leave more often.
Respiratory diseases as the main cause
By the way, the most common reason for sick leave is respiratory diseases. They are responsible for 45 percent of all sick leave. According to Mayrhuber, this is not only due to Covid and flu illnesses, but also environmental factors. However, vaccination offers “low hanging fruit” in reducing respiratory diseases. Sick leave due to injuries, poisoning or musculoskeletal diseases has decreased significantly.
What should be done in terms of health policy to tackle the rising rates of illness? In addition to vaccines and prevention programs, Huss cites more exercise, better nutrition and prevention of mental illness as key points. Huss also advocates for more health literacy: “People’s knowledge of what makes them sick is underdeveloped in Austria.”
“Huge burden on companies”
It doesn’t help to accuse people of “taking too much sick leave,” Huss says. “The fact that the first day of sick leave should not be paid does not help.” Sick leave costs the employer around 250 euros per day, says Rolf Gleißner, head of the WKO department for social and health policy. “This is a huge burden for companies. In other EU countries, paying 100 per cent continuously is unusual.” However, the Chamber of Commerce (WKO) does not want to change that.
“We really hope that once the immune system against Covid or flu is restored, we will return to low illness rates,” said Gleißner. Healthy employees are a fundamental benefit of companies. What measures does Gleißner recommend? “The truth is that everyone, including those affected, needs to take action themselves.” The offers from the insurance companies and the SVS are certainly good.
57 percent of Austrians are obese
“The absence report shows the shortcomings in our health system,” he repeats Wolfgang Panholzl, head of the social insurance department at the Vienna Workers’ Association. The high percentage of musculoskeletal and mental illnesses among insured young people is alarming. 18 per cent of 15 to 19 year olds say they already have a chronic illness. Obesity is also a huge problem. An incredible 57 percent of Austrians are overweight, says Panhölzl. According to studies, 10 percent of all cancers are work-related.
The AK is demanding a prevention law and a comprehensive expansion of care. “With the starvation of the ÖGK and reductions in accident insurance contributions, we will not achieve this goal,” says Panhölzl.